All-steel gbavel box



1929- A. w. RA'NDOLPH 1,733,905

ALL STEEL GRAVEL BOX Filed Aug. 30, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l gwuento'o Oct. 29, 1929-." kw. RANDOLPH I 7 1,733,905

ALL STEEL GRAVEL BOX Filed Aug. 50, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Oct. :29, 1929. w, QLFH 1,733,905

ALL STEEL GRAVEL BOX Filed Aug. 30, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 J0 I f J49 A?! w 4 /i\ i a w'v W 0 -10 I 2 9 7- if F 5 6 gwvemtoz Jjrfizzlr ficmdol ah.

I $1; ",I/e//'{ Oct. 29, 1929. A. W. RANDOLPH ALL STEEL GRAVEL BOX Filed Aug. 30, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l w ,39 50 A 9 16 55' gwuen coz air/7a zzr' amid 072 Patented Oct. 29, 1.929

PATENT OFFIEE ARTHUR XV. RANDOLPI-I, OF MANKATO, I/ZINNESOTA ALL-STEEL GRAVEL BOX Application filed August 30, 1928.

My invention is an improvement in gravel boxes and the particular object of the same is to provide a strong all steel gravel box or body construction of this general type with a 5 bottom formation presenting a plurality of funnel-shaped discharge openings closed at their lower ends by bottom plates in the form of hinged trap-doors, with means for holding said trap doors in closed position and for simultaneously opening and closing the same.

A further object of my invention is to provide mechanical devices which operate to automatically lock the doors closed on operation of the means for closing said doors and for automatically opening the doors on releasing the locking means.

With these principal objects in view my invention consists in the particular construction of an all steel box or body with inverted V-shaped longitudinal and transverse par tion plates welded to each other and to the sides and ends of the box to form funnelshaped discharge openings in the bottom of the box with doors hinged to the opposite sides of the box to close upwardly against the lower ends of the discharge openings, and swinging dogs fixed to longitudinal shafts at the center of the bottom of the box and adapted to engage the doors in closed position; together with an operating shaft at one end of the box connected to the doors for closing the same, and means for operating the dogs to support the doors in closed position and including a locking device for securely holding the doors closed; all as hereinafter fully described and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gravel box constructed in accordance with my invention with the device for closing the doors and operating the locking means removed;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View through the box;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the box;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View through the center of the same;

Fig. 6 is a top plan View;

Serial No. 303,063.

Fig. 7 is an end view, enlarged, showing the mechanical device employed for operating the doors and holding means therefor;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Like numerals indicate like parts in all the views of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention 1 form the gravel box or body structure of sheet steel to provide the ends 10, 11 and sides 12, 13, the;

ends being shaped as shown in the drawings to correspond with the sides, which latter are bent inwardly near their upper ends so that the major portion of said sides are inclined towards each other and reinforced by vertical channel bars 14, the ends beingreinforced by plates 15 at the edges thereof, while the entire box is braced at its upper edge by angle bars 16 and 17 across the sides and ends respectively, said channel bars, angle bars, and: plates being riveted to the sheet metal sides and ends, and in the present instance the channel bars are bent to provide perpendicular members 1 depending below the plane of the bottom of the box to receive angle plates 18 bolted to the lower ends thereof for the purpose of forming stops to limit the outward or opening movement of t ie doors, hereinafter referred to, which close the bottom of the box. To provide for closing the bottom of the gravel box by a plurality of doors and form funnel-shaped openings leading to the door-openings, I provide a, longitudinal partition 19 at the center of the box and transverse partitions 20, 20 and 21, 21 between said longitudinal partition and sides of the box, in each instance said partitions being formed by steel plates bent into V shape with the ends sheared off at an angle to lit against the sides and ends of the box, and with respect to the transverse partitions 20 and 21 so that they may fit against or join the longitudinal partition 19, all of said partitions where they join together and to the sides and ends of the box being welded, this formation of the bottom being clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings where it will be noted that six funnel-shaped openings are provided, three on each side of the longitudinal partition, and that the intermediate openings are larger than those at the ends. The doors which close these openings dilfer only in size, that is doors 22 close the larger openings while doors close the smaller openings and as they close inward against the lower edges of the inverted V- shaped partition plate at the longitudinal center-of the box said doors are hinged at the opposite sides of the box. For the purpose of closing all the doors simultaneously 1 provide longitudinal shafts 2st and to which they are rigidly secured by metal straps 22 and 23 respectively being preferably welded to both the doors and shafts, the latter being supported in bearings 26 riveted to the inwardly projecting sides of the box, and extend outwardly therefrom for connection to plate 18 and depending portions 1d of the channel bars and form braces for said inwardly projecting sides from which the doors are hung. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the opening movement of these doors is limited by the inwardly projecting lower member of the angle plates 18, and that the doors are held in closed position by means of dogs 28 fixed or welded to longitudinal shafts 29 29 located at the lower end of the inverted V-shaped partition plate 19 at the center of the box in transverse bearin g plates 30 located between the depending portions of said partition and having edge flanges by which they are riveted thereto. in order that the doors may be all operated or closed simultaneously by a joint operation of the shafts 2t and 25, and a similar operation of the dogs effected through the medium of shafts 29 29, the mechanism hereinafter described is provided at one or both ends of the box.

To provide for closing the doors the longitudinal shafts 24: and 25 to which they are fixed extend beyond the ends of the box and on one or both extended ends of each shaft there is an arm 31 connected by link 32 to arm 38 carried by a shaft 34: extending across the end of the box and supported in bearing 35 near the opposite ends thereof, with an intermediate bearing 36 in a guide plate 3'? hereinafter referred to, one end of the shaft having a crank handle 8% for manipulating the same. This shaft has a rotking lllOvQll'lPIli] in its bearings and it will be noted by reference to Fig. 8 that when the doors are closed the arms 33 to which the operating links 32 are connected are at an outward angle so that when the doors are released by the dogs, they will fall or open by gravity as well as by the weight of the material in the box. Likewise the shafts 29 are extended beyond the ends of the box and are provided with arms or levers connected by levers 39 to a vertically sliding bar at), sliding in the plate 37 hereinbefore referred to and having pivoted at its upper end a link 41 connected by pivot 41:2 to an arm 43 projecting from an operating rod 4 1 also supported on this end of the box in bearings 46 and projecting beyond one side of the box where it is bent into a handle 46. By reference to Fig. 8 it will be noted that when the dogs are swung into the position for holding the doors closed the arm 43 on the inner end of the operating rod is positioned beyond the perpendicular inward with its upper end against the angle plate 17 whereby to lock the dogs in this position; in other words, the connection described provides a locking device for holding the doors firmly closed.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings the construction and operation of my improved all steel welded gravel box will be readily understood, for it provides a peculiar form of bottom structure whereby several funnelshaped openings are presented closed at their lower ends by swinging doors, and that in the present instance these doors are all operated simultaneously in closing the same and are engaged by the dogs 28 by the simple operation of the rod 44 which not only brings said dogs in engaging position but also locks them. lVhen it is desired to empty the contents of the box it is only necessary to operate rod 44 by handle 46 until the link 43 is swung beyond the perpendicular outward when the dogs will be released and the doors lowered by weight of the material within the box.

I claim:

1. A gravel box or body structure comprising sheet metal side and end pieces, the lower portion of the side pieces being inclined inward, vertical channel bars secured to the outer side of the side pieces to reinforce the same with the lower ends of said channel bars depending below the side pieces, longitudinal and transverse partitions in the form of V- shaped plates connected to the lower ends of the side and end pieces to provide funnelshaped discharge openings, doors hinged at the lower ends of the side pieces, and angleplates secured to the lower ends of the channel bars to form stops for the opening movement of the doors.

2. A gravel box or body structure comprising sheet metal side and end pieces, longitudinal and transverse partitions in the shape of bent plates welded to each other and to the side and ends of the box at the lower ends thereof to provide tunnel-shaped discharge openings, shafts journalled at the lower ends of the side pieces and carrying doors closing upward against the lower ends of the funnelshaped discharge openings, and shafts at the center of the box carrying dogs to engage the doors when closed; together with means for operating the aforesaid shafts and for locking the dogs in closed position supporting the doors closed.

A gravel box or body structure comprising sheet metal side and end pieces, longi tudinal an d transverse partitions in the'form of inverted V-shap'ed plates connected to the lower ends of the side and end pieces to provide funnel-shaped discharge openings, shafts journalled at one side of the door openings and carrying doors closing said openings, and shafts at the other side of said door openings carrying dogs engaging the doors in closed position; together with arms projecting from the aforesaid shafts, a rock-shaft connected to the arms projecting from the door operating shafts by which to close said doors, a rod connected to the shafts carrying the dogs for moving said dogs into engagement with the doors, and means for locking the rod to hold the dogs in engaged position.

4. A gravel box or body structure comprising sheet metal side and end pieces with par tition" plates between the lower ends thereof forming discharge openings, shafts journalled at one side of the discharge openings and carrying doors closing upward against the bottom of the box, and shafts journalled at the other side of said openings and carrying dogs engaging the doors in closed position; said shafts having arms projecting therefrom; means connected to the arms on the door-carrying shafts for operating the same, a sliding element with levers connected to the dog-carrying shafts for moving said dogs into engagement with the doors, a rod for operating said sliding element, and means responsive to the operation of the rod for locking the dogs in engaged position.

5. A gravel box or body construction comprising sheet metal side and end pieces with partition plates between the lower ends thereof forming discharge openings, shafts journailed at one side of the discharge openings and carrying doors closing upward, and shafts journalled at the other side of said openings and carrying dogs engaging the doors in closed position, said shafts having arms projecting therefrom; a shaft and link connection with the arms of the door-carrying shafts, a sliding element with lever connections with the arms of the dog-carrying shafts, an operating rod having an arm connected by link to said sliding element, and a stop for limiting the throw of the arm on the operating rod beyond the perpendicular in the engaged position of the dogs to lock said dogs against the ends of the doors.

6. A gravel box or body construction comprising sheet metal side and end pieces with partition plates between the lower ends thereof forming discharge openings, shafts journalled at one side of the discharge openings and carrying doors closing upward, and shafts journalled at the other side of said openings and carrying dogs engaging the doors in closed position, said shafts having arms projecting therefrom; an operating shaft and link connections with the arms of the door-carrying shafts, a bar slidable vertically on the end of the box and connected by levers to the arms of the dog-carrying ARTHUR W. RANDOLPH. 

